Rail-anchor



B. WOLHAUPTER.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 1918.

1,344,015. Patented Jim 22, 1920.

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B. WOLHAUPTER.

RAIL ANCHOR.

0N FIL APPLIC 1918.

1,344,015. Patented June 22, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orFIcE- BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OE NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 22 1920 Application filed August 1, 1.918. Serial N0. 247,802.

ject the construction of these devices with maximum structural strength and bearing area, but with a minimum expenditure of metal.

The invention,,. therefore, fundamentally involves a desirable conservation of metal in the manufacture of rail anchors, as well as an advantageous distribution of the metal in shaping the device, whereby increased strength is obtained by such distribution with the use ofa minimum amount of metal. Accordingly, the invention is intended to satisfactorily meet a most important consideration in the manufacture of 'rail anchors, that is, a reduction in the weight of such devices by thesaving of unwhich will more readily appear to those fanecessary metal, so I that the anchor may be more cheaply made and handled, and a considerable reduction in manufacturing costs effected. I

Other important and practical objects are attained by providing a rail anchor construction having structural characteristics effectually meeting-the exacting track conditions imposed thereon. Certain of these characteristics are essential in an ideal rail anchor and are embodied in the present inventlon. One of these characteristlcs or features is that the device must be so conrupture the fibers of the tie.

structged and arranged that it may have an exten ive bearing against the t1e in order that the latter may become a substantial "and firm abutment to resist, through the me-f dium' of the anchor, a-Ify longitudinal movement of the rail. At, the 'same'ti'me the anohor must not present any sharp edges which will have a tendency to cut into or.

tween the 'anchor and the rail, whereb upon being placed in position on the ra1l,

the anchor becomes substantially a rigidpart thereof so that under ordinary service conditions it will be incapable of independent movement. A

These practical and necessary requirements and features in a rail anchor are realized and embodied in the present in- Y vention which therefore contemplates the provision of a rail anchor construction havmg the desirable characteristics of maximum contact and bearing area with minimum weight, and maximum structural strength.

Further, in'connection with the feature of providing an anchor having a minimum amount of metal, it is to be observed that it 18 proposed to so distribute the metal in the device as to obtain an anchor having a greater load-carrying and force-resisting capacity than a rectangular or round shape of bar of the same Weight commonly used in making structures of this kind.

The present invention also provides a spe- ClfiC form or structurewhi'ch when applied to the rail, has peculiar and efiicient means for locking the anchor to the rail. 1

With the above and other objects in view,

miliar with the art as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel combination, construction fully described, illustrated and claimed.

. While the invention is necessarily susceptible-of embodiment in different structural forinatlons, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, certain preferred and practical forms are shown in the accompanymg drawings, in which Figure l is anelevation of a rail anchor constructed according to the present invention, in its initial position on the railflange,

and showing by dotted lines the distontions produced by driving the anchor onto the rail flange: I f

Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe anchor shown in- Fig. 1, also showing by dotted lines the distorting effect to the rail flange when theanchor is driven tightly thereon.

F g. 3 1s a top plan View thereof.

,Flg. 45 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the general cross-sectional shape of the anchor, and illustrating the redistribution of metal from a bar of flat section into a bar of channel formation to obtain the structural strength. i

a F 5 is an end view of a modified shape of bar which may be used in making the anchor.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a rail anchor somewhat similar to Fig. 1 but having the rying and force-resisting capacity, it is proposed to utilize as the fundamental principle of construction a channel bar distribution of metal. This distribution provides a rail anchor body having a relatively flat vertical web with laterally offset terminal flanges projecting from one side of the web,

.thus giving to the anchor the strength and rigidity of a channel bar distribution of metal, and at the same time providing a relatively large andfirm bearing area for engagement with the rail and with the tie.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings appears an illustration graphically demonstrating the distribution of metal utilized'in making the present invention and also demonstrating the mechanical fact that when a rectangular beam is placed under load, the fibers on one side are placed under tension while thoseon the opposite side are placedunder compression, the fibers midway between are neutral, that is carry no loadand this location is termed the neutral axis. From this view, it will be, observed that the points a, b, c, and d represent a rectangular beam, while the horizontal line waz designates the neutral axis thereof. "By taking the metal indicated as M near and above the neutral axis ww, and placing it at the top of the bar as indicated at M, and by taking the metal N near and below the neutral axis,

and placing it at the bottom of the beam or bar as indicated at N, the same will be placed where it will carry a very substantial load, whereas in its former location it was neutral or carrying practically no load. Thus, in the present channel form of bar the same amount of metal will carry a much greater load than a rectangular bar of the same-cross-sectional area, and conversely, a channel bar can be made to carry the same amount of load as a rectangular bar with very much less metal. At the same time, the advantage of providing relatively wide upper and lower chords on the bar is to give a much wider bearing area on the rail than would be possible with the original rectangular beam, while at the same time also givthe edge of the rail flange, when the anchor is forced into place. Referring specifically to the form of construction shown in Fig. 1 it will be noted that the channel shape, of which the anchor body is formed, is designated generally as 1, and presents a relatively wide and flat bearing face 2 at one side for abutting against the tie T, and as shown, essentially includes a clip portion designated generally as 3, which is preferably though not necessarily resilient or springy, and a rail-base engaging member 4 which extends beneath the base of the rail and engages therewith to effectively prevent the lateral displacement of the anchor after it is once in place.

The clip portion 3 of the anchor is of "substantially circular or loop formation and the squared-off end 5 thereof is adapted to have a flat bearing engagement with the inclined upper face of the rail flange, while the other end of the loopwhich is adapted to receive the outerv edge of the rail flange is provided with a relativelyflat rail-flange engaging face 6 lying substantially in line with the lower face of the rail base. This particular formation of the clip portion 3 therefore provides a relatively stout and substantial rail engaging part for the anchor which will grip the rail flange with increasing tenacity as .the entire anchor is shifted laterally as the,result of a hammer blow or the like, tothus securely fasten the anchor to the rail, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

clip, the body of the anchor 1 as at a: slants downwardly from the inner edge of the relatively flat flange-engaging face 6 to a suitable point or bow and from there is inclined upwardly as at z toward the edge of the other rail flange, whereby the free end of the anchor body, designated as 7, may have a bearing engagement with said other rail flange, Thus, it will be observed that *the bearing points 5, 6 and, 7 of the anchor on the bar form a scalene-triangle, and the tail part of the anchor is bowed to admit of a powerful spring tension action.

It will now be apparent that forcing the same in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 onto the rail, that is transversely thereof, causes a leverage action in the device, the

' From its loop formation to provide the fulcrum of the lever being at the' point where the freeend of the clip bears directly upon the upper inclined face of the rail of-the bearing points 5, 6 and 7., produces a leverage action in the anchor. which increases as the device is driven farther onto the rail flange and puts the anchor under a tension so great that the edge of the rail flange lying between the ends of the clip is distorted upward as indicated by the dotted line R in Fig. 1, and at the same time the loop of the clip 8 becomes distorted as indicated by the dotted lines 3*, and the lower ibase engaging portion 4 of the anchor also becomes distorted" as indicated at 4*, all. of which contributes to provide a most secure and effective locking engagement between the anchor and the rail.

A modified shape of anchor body is shown in Fig. 5 of the darwings from which it will be observed that instead of distributing the metal in the form of a true channel bar v such as shown in Fig. 4., a structural shape having the modified channel distribution of the bulb angle maybe employed. .In this formation a relatively thin upper flange 8 is provided to conserve the relatively broad -bearing engagement between the anchor body and the rail, while the chord 9 has 1 the metal more concentrated in bulb formation which has special advantages under some conditions of use.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows a modified anchor of the same type shown in Fig. l.

. That is, the structure shown in this figure involves the same channel bar type of an chor body withra holding clip and gripping portion, and a resilient rail-base engaging lever arm. However, in this particu stance it is proposed to further lighten the bar and save metal by tapering the ends of the anchor as'indicated at 10 and 11,- sine at these points the anchor is subjected to considerably less strain than at any other 7,

point in its length. I

Other modifications and adaptations of the channel distribution of metal may of course be resorted to, andit will be understood that changes 'in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to for the purpose of attaining theseends without departing from the principle of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor having at one end a loop, the upper part of which engages the top of the rail flange and the lower part of which is provided with a face lyin in substantially the same'plane with the ot ar intom of the rail and arranged to exert up- ,ward flexing pressure on the edge of the rail flange.

'2. A rail anchor comprising a bar having flat faces respectively engaging the top face and under edge of one rail flange, and an inclinedpart engaging the under portion of the opposite flange.

3. A rail anchor including a body having a holding arm for engaging one rail flange, and a flexible loop for embracing the other rail flange, said loop being provided at the terminals thereof with flat rail flange engaging faces, one of which faces is disposed in a plane parallel to the bottom of the rail and the other of which is disposed at an angle thereto, whereby as the anchor adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom and comprising a looped member embracing one rail flange and having an arm extending from the lower portion thereof for engagement with the opposite rail flange, said anchor being subject to spring tension when moved transversely on the rail base.

5. A rail anchor of channelformation grally connected, a face of the connecting member engaging an abutment.

8. A rail anchor having a body of channel formation and adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom.

9 A rail anchor having a body portion of channel formation and adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom and also having rail engaging means.

10. A rail anchor having a body portion of channel formation and adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom and also having railbase engaging means.

,11. A rail anchor having a body portion of channel formation and adapted to be applied to the*rail with its web perpendicularto the rail bottom and also having rail flange engaging means.

12, A rail anchor including a single tieabutting body having reinforcing elements.

projecting to one side only, ing elements.

13. A rail anchor'including a single tieabutting' body having reinforcing flanges at its edges, projecting to one side only, and provided with rail engaging rmeans.

14. A rail anchor including a single t1eabutting bodyjiaving a channel bar disand rail engagtribution of metal throughout, and provided.

with rail engaging means.

15. A rail anchor including a spring bar of channel formation and adapted to. be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to.the rail bottom, and also having rail engaging means. 7

16. A rail anchor including a bar con, sisting of a relatively thin web adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom and flanges connected by said web and projecting from one side thereof, and said bar being provided with-rail engaging means.

17. A rail anchor including a tapering bar of channel formation having fiat rail and tie engaging faces;

18. A rail anchor including a bar having a channel formation and tapering toward its ends, said bar having flat rail and tie engaging faces.

19. A rail anchor including a bar having a channel formation of graduated depth and provided with flat rail and tie engaging faces.

20. A rail anchor including a bar of chan-.

adapted to be applied to the rail with its web perpendicular to the rail bottom, and" one end of which body clampingly engages the top and the other end of whlch engages the bottom of the rail flange.

24. A rail anchor including a single tieabutting body of channel distribution of metal throughout and having a gripping jaw at one end.

25. A rail anchor comprising a resilient clip of channel formation.

26. A rail anchor of channel formation 6 and having a jaw at one end and a resilient rajil gripping member adjacent the other en 27. A rail anchor having a jaw for grip-- ping the rail when the anchor is secured 6 thereto by a transverse movement, said anchor being of channel formation and of varying section wfhereby the points of strongest section correspond with the points of greatest strain.'

28. A rail anchor adapted to be applied to a single rail having a body of channel formation.

29. A rail anchor comprising a looped member embracing one rail flange and having an arm extending from the lower portion thereof for sliding engagement with the oppositerail flange, said looped member being subject to spring tension when moved transversely on the rail base.

30. A rail anchor having a jaw so disposed as to be distorted and to distort a rail flange upwardly when moved transversely thereon.

31. A rail anchor having a resilient jaw so disposed as to be distorted and to distort a rail flange upwardly when moved transversely thereon.

In testimony whereof I. hereunto aflix my slgnature in the presence of two wit- 9 DBSSGS. 0

' BENJAMIN woLHAUPTER.

Witnesses S. C. ADAMS,

JOHN K. MoAvoY. 

